Door-operating apparatus



"Jan. 29, 1929.

C. C. COX

DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

C C Cox II/IIIIIIIIIIII/I/IIIIII/III/II/flifill/IA (III v l ORNEY.

Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,433

C. C. COX

DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l L 2'2 4 57 42 w 345 7 I U \fi? f 0 W I 5 1 52 34 INVENTOR. 4-

J2 -C.C.COX

k 2 W TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

PATENT. OFFICE."

CYRIEL C. COX, OF GARFIELD, UTAH.

DOOR-OPERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed September This invention relates to door operating ape paratus and its main object is to provide a simple and practical mechanism operable by the weight of a person or vehicle approaching 5 the door, which will automatically open the door and reclosethe same after an interval siifiiciently long to permit the person or vehicle to pass through the door opening.

Further objects of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of co-operating devices by which the above described purpose is accomplished, as will fully appear in the course of the following description.

An embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the several views of which like parts are simi larly designated and in which Figure 1 represents a horizontal sectional view of a door and its frame, showing the relative arrangement of the operating mechanism;

Figure 2, an enlarged horizontal section through the motor-casing of the mechanism;

Figure 3, a vertical section taken on the line 33 Figure 2; y

Figure 4, an enlarged longitudinally sectional elevation of the dash-pot included in the apparatus;

Figure 5, a fragmentary vertical section along the line '55, Figure 2; I

Figure 6, a sectional elevation showing the I parts of the mechanism directly connected with the door in the position they occupy when the door is closed; I v

Figure 7, a view similar to Figure 6 showing the'parts in the position to which they are moved when the door is partially open;

Figure 8, a diagrammatic representation of the electrical devices and circuits included in the operating mechanism, the devices being shown in their normal relative positions;

Figure 9, a view similar to-Figure 8 showing the electrical devices in their relative positions immediately upon actuation of the mechanism bya person or vehicle approaching the door; and z v Figure 10, a section in the plane indicated by the-line 1010 in Figure-2.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention the operating apparatus has been shown in connection with a single swinging door but it will "be apparent that by simple changes in the power transmitting means which connect the door'with the operating 8, 1925. Serial No. 55,085.

mechanism, too obvious to require further illustration, the invention may be applied to sliding doors or to double doors of either type. It is further to be understood that while the electrical circuits and connections have been shown in the simplest form at present known to me, my invention is not limited to the exact means herein disclosed since it is clearly evident that many variations in the construction, relative arrangement and electrical connections of the elements comprised in the system are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter to be explained and defined in the appended claims.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates a wall having a door opening 6 normally closed by a swinging door 7 hinged as at 8..

The improved door operating mechanism consists of adoor operatingunit 9 and a controlling unit 10. The last mentioned unit comprises in the construction shown in thev in its normal position and it is .depressible in a protectlve and guiding caslng 14 set in an;

excavation below the floor.

The door-operating unit of the apparatus,

includes in a casing 15 set in a second excavation below the'floor at a short distance from the other, an electric motor-'16 which by means of a reduction gearing 17 is operatively connected with ashaft 18 supported in bearings at the sides of the casing.

The shaft carries an eccentric disk 19 in driving engagement with a curved contactsurface of a cross-head 20 which is slidably mounted upon parallel horizontally disposed guide rods 21 The reciprocating cross-head-has a stem 22 passing, through an opening in a side of the casing and a spring 23 coiled around the stem between the side of the casing and a shoulder on the cross-head provides a yielding means to return the door to its closed position after ithas been opened in. the operation of the apparatus.

The closing movement of the door is, however, retarded to a regulatable speed by means aperture 30 for the leakage of air from the.

i cushion formed by its relatively receding motion.

A. needlevalve 31 provides an adjustable medium to regulate the size of the aperture 30 and thereby vary the rate of motion of the door in its closing movement.

The operation of the motor iscontrolled by a band brake 32 fixed at one end to a sta-' tionary part of the casing and having its --opposite end connected with the sliding core 33 of a solenoid 34.

The stem 22 of the cross-head is pivotally connected as at 37 with a crank-arm35 on a rod 36' fixed on the door substantially in .alinement with the hinge .thereof. The rod and the arm extend in an enclosure provided by an extension 38 of the casing 15 around the outwardly projecting portion of the stem 22 below the floor 37 It will be apparent that by the arrangement of parts hereabove described, a movement of the reciprocating cross-head against the resistance of the spring will cause the door to open while the return movement of the cross-head by subsequent expansion of the spring under the control of the air cushion formed in the dash-pot, will re-close the door at a velocity determined by the position of the needle valve of the dash-pot relative to the escape aperture.

Referring further to the control-unit 10, the mat 12 carries a contact-member 39 normally in spaced relation to two relatively stationary contacts 40, and a: second contact member 41 which normally engages with two relatively stationary contacts 42. The two sets of contacts provideswitches which control two circuits hereinafter to be described and their members are relatively arranged so that when the contacts of one switch are in circuit-closing engagement, thosev of the other are disengaged as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings.

Fixed in the casing of the operating unit 9 concentric with the shaft 18, is a commutator disk 43 of non-conductive material carrying in circular almement, a concentr1c serles of insulated segmental contact plates. Two pair of said plates, 44 and 45, and 46 and 54 are concentrically arranged." A brush 47 on the shaft has a tip 47 insulated from the remainder of the brush. .The tip 47 a is adapted to close the circuit for the brake. The remainder of the brush 47 is adapted tosimultaneously engage the two contact'plates 46 and 54 in the motor starting circuit. The circuits will be more fully. explained later.

In circular alinement with one of these pairs of plates is a pair of circular concentric The field of the motor is included in a conductor 50 which connects the opposite pole of the source of electricity with the contact 46. In the normal position of the brush depressed, the contacts 40 are bridged and by reason of the brush 47 engaging the contacts. 46 and 54, a temporary circuit. for the motor is closed. p

Another circuit comprises a conductor 51 connecting a pole of the electricity with the plate 45 and including the coil of the brake solenoid 34. This conductor. is broken when the mat 12'is depressed, since the contacts 42 are bridged by the member 41 only aslong as the mat is in a-raised position.

The opposite pole of the source is by means of a conductor 52 connected with the contact plate 44, thereby completing a circuit through the brake solenoid when the contacts 42 are connected by the member 41 and the tip 47 engages the contact plates 44 and'45. The circuit for the motor during the major portion of its revolution comprises a conductor 57 connecting one pole of the source of electricity with the contact 55. The motor is connected by the conductor 5() with the other pole of the source of electricity and with a as shown in Figure 8, when the mat 12 is contact 56. When the tip'47 of the brush is closed by the contact member 41 bridging the gap between the contacts 42 and the motor circuit is open owing to the separation of the bridging member 39 from the cont-acts 40. The brake thus holds the parts of the operating mechanism in the normal position represented in Figure 8, until the mat is depressed v by the weight of a person or vehicle approaching the closed door when the brake circuit is broken by separation of the conduc tive member 41 from the contacts 42 and the motor circuitis completed by the engagement of the member 39 with the contacts 40.

The brush 47 is normally in engagement with the contacts -16 and 54, and the mat is normally in a raised position, as shown in Figure 8; so that normally the brake circuit is closed. IVhen the mat is depressed the brake circuit is opened and the temporary motor circuit is closed thus starting the motor.

The motorrotates the shaft until the tip of the brush engages the contacts 55 and 56, and since the mat does not control the operation of this circuit, the motor will continue for one revolution until the brush disengages these contacts and engages the solenoidand temporary circuit contacts.

It will thus be observed that when the mat is momentarily depressed by aperson or vehicle moving toward the door, the operation of the mechanism is continued during one revolution of the commutator shaft, while in case tliemat is maintained in its depressed position for a longer period, the operation is indefinitely continued until tliemat returns to its original position.

against/the resistance of the spring 23 and the motion of the cross-head is through the .instrumentality of the crank converted 1 into an opening movement of the door.

'herei'nabove explained when under the influence of the air cushion formed in the dashp ot 24 it is slowly returned to its closed position by expansion of the spring 23. At the use in connection witlidoors between the kitchens and ublic dining rooms of hotels I and other eating places since it operates to open the-doors upontlie approach of the waiters who frequently carry, trays or large quantities of dishes req i'iiring the use of both hands.

'lhein-vention, may, however, be applied with equal facility to garages for the operation of the doors upon the approach of a motor vehicle, or it maybe used in connection with farm-gates or in short with any movable. barr er closing an opening or passageway.

WVhatI claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. In a door-operating mechanism, the combination with a normally closeddoor,of mechanism including an electric motor to open the same, a depressible'actuating medium adaptanism to open the same, a depressible actuating medium adapted to energize the mechanism, when engaged by a person approaching the door, means to automatically continue the operative movement of the mechanism after the actuating medium is released, and means to automatically reclose the door after a predetermined period.

3. In a door operating mechinsin, the combination with a door, of an electric motor, mechanism for opening the door by movement of the motor, means to automatically reclose the door, a circuit for the motor, a switch distant fromthe door controlling the circuit of the motor,'and an electric brake appliance for the motor operated by the mechanism when the circuit of the motor is broken by the switch ata predetermined point in the movement 0 the mechanism.

4. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a door, of an electric motor,

mechanism for opening the door by movement of the motor, means to automatically reclos'e.

the door, a circuit for the motor, a switch distant from the door, controlling the circuit of the motor, an electric brake to arrest the mo-- tion of the motor, a circuit for the brake, and Thedoor remains open until the rotary fmovenient of the shaft is discontinued as an automatic switch operated by the motor and adapted to energize the brake when the circuit of the motor is broken by the first-mentioned switch.

\ 51 In door operating mechanism, a normally closed door, a normally idle motor, mechanism for opening the door by movement of the-motor, an electric brake normally restraining the motor, circuits for the motor and the brake, a switch distant from the door," controlling the circuits to simultaneously release the brake and energize the motor, a switch operated by movement of the motor'to reopen the circuit of the motor and to reclose the circuit of the brake at a predetermined point in the movement of the door-opening mechanism, and means to automatically reclose the door. I I

6. In door operating mechanism, a. nor-f mally closed door, a rotory eccentric, a crosshead operated by the eccentric, means for converting a movement of the crosshead into mally closed door, a rotary eccentric, a cross-.1

head operated by the eccentric,means for converting a movement of the crosshead lnto an opening-movement of the door, an elastic medium to return the crosshead to its original.

position, an electric motor in driving connection with the eccentric, an electric brake adapted to stop the movement of the motor, circuits for the motor and the brake, a switch distant from the door, controlling the'oircuits whereloy to release the brake and to energize" the motor, and an automatic switch adapted to deenergize the motor and to reset the brake at a predetermined point in the movement of the eccentric.

8. In door operating mechanism, a normally closed door, a rotary eccentric, a crosshead operated by theeccentric, means for converting a movement of the crosshead into an opening movement of the door, a spring to return the crosshead to its original position, a

dashpot actuated by movement of the crosspoint in the movement of the eccentric.

9. In a door-operating mechanism, the combination with a normally closed door, of mechanism including an electric motor to open same, a depressible actuating medium adapted to energize the motor when engaged by a person approaching the door, means controlling the movement of the mechanism after the actuating medium is released, means to automatically reclose the door, and adjustable means to predetermine the speed at which the door is closed.

.In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

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